What is Godly Play?
Godly Play offers a creative, child-honoring way of entering into and experiencing biblical stories and saints’ stories. In Godly Play we play with the language of God and God’s People: our sacred stories, parables, liturgical actions and silence. Through this powerful language, our wondering, and the community of players gathered together, we hear the deepest invitation of all: an invitation to come and play with God.
Who participates and when?
Godly Play typically takes place in the sanctuary at St. Timothy’s on Youth Sundays (1st Sundays), when a storyteller presents a Godly Play lesson for the whole congregation.
Godly Play happens in the classroom on the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and occasional 5th Sundays of the month September through May. Children hear and see the Story for the day, participate in Wondering together, and respond to the story through art or play before re-joining their families at the distribution of Holy Communion.
Ages and stages in Godly Play: Godly Play is appropriate for all ages and we do not have firm age ranges for our Godly Play program, as children develop at their own pace. Most kids at St. Tim’s begin participating in Godly Play around age 3 and transition to our Youth program around middle school. If your child is potty-trained and able to settle for a 5-10 minute story, they are probably ready to join the circle for the first time. Parents and caregivers are our best partners in determining what’s developmentally-appropriate for their unique child. If you have questions or need support in deciding when the time is right, please speak to Aimee or Miz for guidance.
Adults in Godly Play
If you aren’t a kid and you want to explore Godly Play or help to support our youngest parishioners, we have many opportunities available:
Open Houses are held during the year for curious parents and parishioners, and adults are always needed as storytellers and doorpersons. Each Godly Play session must have two, unrelated adults who are Safe Church certified to serve in these roles. If you’re curious about what the volunteer commitment entails, we highly recommend What is Godly Play? (a free webinar) and the Godly Play Foundation’s 90-minute introductory virtual workshops are a great way to get up to speed. Core Training delves deeper into children’s spirituality and is highly recommended within the first two years of volunteering. You can find learning opportunities listed here. Support to fund core training is also available.
The Godly Play classroom is designed to be sacred place set aside for our children. The room is set up so that everything is accessible to them, with everything at a child’s eye level and organized in a logical, chronological, and liturgical order. The room is usually locked when not in use, to maintain the order of the materials, which are arranged with a focal shelf featuring the nativity surrounded by stories of the birth and death of Jesus. The remainder of the room is circled with materials that tell the stories of the Old Testament, the Parables and the lives of Saints, in that order.
Other ways to support our circle of children and the adults who care for them
The Mess Makes Meaning Podcast and other resources from Everyday Godly Play are meant to support parents and caregivers, especially, but any adult at St. Timothy’s who wishes to support our circle can use these free resources to nurture our children’s spirituality. The Godly Play Foundation podcast is co-hosted by St. Timothy’s parishioner Aimee and offers support for storytellers, doorpersons and other Godly Play practitioners.
The Godly Play program at St. Tim’s has an Amazon Wishlist
What to expect on a Sunday Morning
On Sunday, children should hang their coats and any distractions (noisy toys, etc.) and visit the restroom before walking down the hallway to the Godly Play classroom. Arrival for Godly Play begins at 9:45 am in the hallway, and the story begins at 10:00 am, so it’s best if you say goodbye in the hallway. The Doorperson will be waiting to greet your child, welcome them to the room, and help them get ready to join the circle.
Getting Ready is a major part of the Godly Play experience for our children. Just as we adults center ourselves and get ready to experience God as we enter the sanctuary, our children are learning and practicing how to get ready when they quiet their voices and bodies before they listen to the Sacred Stories, Parables, and Stories of Liturgical Action. They have an innate knowledge of God’s presence, and through Godly Play learn the religious language they need to explore their faith. A Godly Play session mirrors the work adults are doing in the sanctuary: Getting Ready, Story, Wonder, Response/Work Time, Feast & Blessing. At St. Timothy’s, it’s our tradition that the children gather to process in to the sanctuary at the start of communion, to feast and receive a blessing alongside the whole congregation.
We recommend arriving to St. Timothy’s no later than 9:50am to allow yourself and your children time to decompress from the hectic morning before approaching either the Godly Play Classroom or the Sanctuary. If you are running late, please do not rush your child. While we do have a specific number of minutes in which to present the story and do art response, we like to say that “we have all the time we need in Godly Play.” The doorperson will be waiting to help your child get ready to enter into the classroom and the story without disrupting the other children.
New Parents or Parents of Kids who are New to Godly Play should review our Ten Best Ways for Parents and Beginning the Godly Play Year at St. Timothy’s, both available on this website. These documents explain in more depth what goes on in the classroom.